Stephanos of Khinolakkos

Our venerable and God-bearing father Stephanos (Steven) was an ascetic of the early eighth century who founded the monastery of Khinolakkos in Moudania (in Asia Minor). His feast day is January 14.

Life

St. Stephanos was a nobleman from the East and was righteous like Job. From the beginning he loved the ascetic life and went to the monasteries and hermitages of the holy fathers along the River Jordan in the desert of Ss. Euthymios, Savvas, and Theodosios. After he had learned the way of life in each of these monasteries, he traveled in 716 to Constantinople during the reign of Leo Isauros the Iconoclast (also known as Leo the Isaurian). He was offered hospitality by the holy PatriarchGermanus and stayed in Constantinople for some time. Having benefited much from the patriarch's advice, Stephanos spent the rest of his life at his monastery, Khinolakkos. There, he gathered many monks and, after guiding them in the learning and the ways of the Lord, he raised them to perfection and to such a spiritual age as to be true members of the body of Christ.

Thus the saint lived, partaking in the future glory and beatitude of the heavenly kingdom even while he was still on this earth. According to tradition, his holy soul was seen by some rising in glory with an angelic escort to Heaven.